Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-10-28
STRENGTH AND WEAKNESS.
Some "reminiscences Of Parker Cleveland,
The Historic BOwdOin Professor and Pho.
neer Of Science,
Which are Related to Journal Scribe by
Former Resident of Brunswick.

Which are Related to Journal Scribe by
Former Resident of Brunswick.
Talking about great men" remarked a
gentleman to the Journal reporter recently,
''have you ever noticed that men who are
exceedingly strong in certain directions are
ofttimes weak in Others" "Why," he
continued thoughtfully, Il can think of sew
eral amusing instances of this Of course
you remember Parker Cleveland, the famous
Bowdoin professor, the father of geology and
mineralogy in this country. He was undoubt-
eddy one of the greatest scientists that this
country ever produced. His text books are
still read with interest. and are of scientific
value as showing the broad foundation which
he laid for the subsequent marvellous devel
opment of those sciences to which he devoted
bis life. The famous cabinet of minerals at
Bowdoin which is named in his honor and
which he spent years of patient work in col
Letting is one of the most complete and val
liable in this country. He was man who
threw his whole soul and life into his
work and inspired his pupils with a
a large measure of his own enthusiasm. The
young men who listened to his lectures and
who came to know his childish simplicity and
kindness of heart. loved him with an affec.
ton that has never bean accorded in a like
measure to any of the many popular men who
Ia
were such men as Hawthorne, Pierce, Abbott,
Cilley, Hon. J. w. Bradbury Of our own city,
the poet Longfellow, and others whose names
have since become national but who have
never for moment lost their love and vene-
ration for this prince of instructors When
the poet Longfellow revisited Bowdoin, a few
years before his death, he wrote in memory
Of Professor Cleveland the following beauti-
full sonnet which was framed in the original
MSS. and now hangs i'll the hallway of the
Cleveland cabinet:
"Among the many lives that have known,
None remember more serene and sweet,
More rounded in itself and more complete,
Than his, who lies beneath this funeral stone.
These pines that murmur In low monotone,
These walks frequented by scholastic feet
Were all his world but in this calm retreat
For him the teachers chair became q throne.
With fond affection memory loves to dwell
On the old days when his example made
pastime OF the toll of tongue and pen
Ane now amid the groves he loved so we'll
That naught could lure him from their grateful
shade,
He sleeps but wakes elsewhere for
God hath sad. Amen I"
Probably no more correct picture of Parker
Cleveland and his life work has ever been
drawn than this, yet with all his profound
scholarship he was in many respects a child.
Indeed one of the greatest traits of this mans
character WAS his love for children and his
broad sympathy with them in all their little
troubles He never refused them admittanee
to his study at home and they were accustomed
to romp about in this room while he was in
the midst of some of his most profound re-
searches The only stipulation that he ever
made being that they shouldn't jostle his
chair | well remember one hot day in sum.
mer that | was engaged il getting in hay on
my fathers farm near the college buildings.
The grasshoppers were very numerous
that year and every load we
hauled in was fairly alive with them.
While we were engaged in this work Prof.
Cleveland came along and watched us for a
while. | noticed that something was troub-
Ing him Finally he asked ''Dont you think
it's very dangerous getting this hay in now?"
why"
"Isn't it probable that these locusts Will
devour it before winter?"
We could scarcelv restrain our laughter,
but told the kind hearted Professor that they
would probably only eat part of it and We
should have enough left for our stock, and
he went off satisfied.
He was fearless man in some ways,
and would handled with the utmost
carelessness and freedom, reptiles
that would make my blood run cold to look
at, and yet he was morally afraid of a thun,
der shower To avoid against all danger he
was accustomed to go down cellar and get
onto sofa 18th glass legs; thus anchored he
would ride out the storm. He was the most
unaffected man | ever knew, and when he
died it cast a gloom over the whole commun-
ity. Bowdoin does well to honor this man
for he gave to her the fruits of busy life
and profound eruditon.